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Spain Wine

Wine-growing

The total area of Spanish vineyards is in the region of 1.2 milion hectares. That is enormous and about 300,000 hectates larger than either the France or Italian wine-growing areas.

Yet less wine is produced than in either of the other two countries, at approximately 35,5 milion hectolitres, a vast 20 milion hectolitres less than France or Italy.

The difference in production volumes in partly accounted for by the large proportion of Denominación de Origen wine. Spain produces relatively smaller volumes of vino de la tierra (country wine or vin de pays) than France or Italy.

The majority of Spanich wines originates from Catalonia, Valencia, and La Mancha. Regions such as La Rioja, Aragon, Levante, and Andalucia produce quality wine in much lower volume.

The lower yield can also be explained by the extremly hot and arid climate of southern Spain. The vines have to be kept low because of the extremes of weather so that the yield is little more than a few bunches per vine.